PROPA12 SQA Unit Code (H7TV 04)

Printed products: standard operating procedures

Overview This standard is for people working in the production co-ordination unit of a printing
company. The standard states the skills and knowledge required to assist in the
creation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for work activities used to
produce a printed product, whether that being health and safety, preventative
maintenance, the production process, the administrative processes or customer
enquiries. It is not intended for an entrant to the industry but for someone who has
minimum two years experience in the industry.

It will involve you liaising with and assisting the practitioners/departmental managers
within your company to either generate or improve the operating procedures
currently in place or to be used. You will be required to analyse and document
methods in place/or to be put in place and to assist with
implementation/improvements/changes.

Whether systems are in place or to be implemented, you will be required to assist in

the production/improvement of SOPs for a range of activities, such as health and
safety, order handling, file handling, production processes, despatch/delivery,
customer concern procedures. You have to be aware of the utilisation of Product
Cycle Time (lean manufacturing)time and try to reduce the impact of the “eight
wastes” categories that are:
 T -Transport – Moving people, products & information
 I - Inventory – Storing parts, pieces, documentation ahead of requirements
 M - Motion – Bending, turning, reaching, lifting
 W - Waiting – For parts, information, instructions, equipment
 O - Over production – Making more than is IMMEDIATELY required
 O - Over processing – Tighter tolerances or higher grade materials than are
necessary
 D - Defects – Rework, scrap, incorrect documentation
 S - Skills – Under utilising capabilities, delegating tasks with inadequate
training

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and
procedures for the activities undertaken and to report any problems that you cannot
solve, or are outside your responsibility, to the relevant person/department.

Your existing knowledge should provide a uniformed understanding of what is

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PROPA12 SQA Unit Code (H7TV 04)
Printed products: standard operating procedures

required and provide an informed and sequential approach to the techniques and
procedures in use or to be set up and implemented. You will need to understand the
principles and procedures for creating/assisting with/implementing SOP and their
application in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities
to the required criteria.

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PROPA12 SQA Unit Code (H7TV 04)
Printed products: standard operating procedures

Performance
criteria

You must be able to: P1 assist with the analysis of current operations to identify the most suitable
procedure
P2 comply with current and relevant legislation, specifically legislation related to
health and safety
P3 engage with operational staff to give them the opportunity of input
P4 collate all information received
P5 assist with the development/improvement of standard operating procedures in
an agreed format
P6 agree with operatives that the development of the standards they have to
function to are workable and will be of benefit to the company
P7 supply standard operating procedures for staff to work to
P8 assist with the improvement/implementation of standard operating procedures
P9 monitor their use against operating procedures
P10 produce standard operating procedures
P11 revise standard operating procedures to ensure their effectiveness

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PROPA12 SQA Unit Code (H7TV 04)
Printed products: standard operating procedures

Knowledge and
understanding

You need to know K1 the health and safety requirements of the area for which you are creating
and understand:
standard operating procedures
K2 the specific regulations and safe working practices and procedures that
apply to your work activities
K3 the various formats used in creating standard operating procedures (SOP)
K4 where to find the SOP document format to be used in your business
K5 how SOPs are structured and the importance of their use
K6 what information will be required to create a SOP
K7 methods of communicating/facilitating to ensure all the required
information for the SOP is captured
K8 the operation/process to be captured in the SOP
K9 why SOPs are the basis for quality and continuous improvement
K10 what the wastes are and how to eliminate them
K11 how to simplify work done, eliminating waste and potential for human error
K12 what actions can be taken to deal with specific difficulties in working
relationships
K13 who you should seek assistance from when you have difficulties with
working relationships
K14 what lean manufacturing is and the relationship with achieving flow in a
process
K15 how to distinguish facts from opinions in order to identify improvement
actions
K16 the extent of your own authority and whom you should report to, in the
event of problems that you cannot resolve

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PROPA12 SQA Unit Code (H7TV 04)
Printed products: standard operating procedures

Additional information

Scope / range: Produce Standard Operating Procedures for the following:

1 Health, safety and environmental practices and procedures
 Planned preventative maintenance of equipment procedure
 Pre-production procedures 
4 Manufacturing production operations
5 Despatch/delivery procedures
6 Customer enquiries

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PROPA12 SQA Unit Code (H7TV 04)
Printed products: standard operating procedures

Developed by Proskills

Version number 1

Date approved October 2013

Indicative review April 2018

date
Validity Current

Status Original

Originating Proskills

organisation
Original URN PROPA12

Relevant Originators compositors and print preps; Printers; Screen printers; Printing
machine minders and assistants; Bookbinders and print finishers; Graphic
occupations designers

Suite Print Administration

Key words Print; production; costing; estimating; sales; account; management; quality;
procedures

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